Video games were introduced as
a commercial entertainment medium in 1971, becoming the basis for an important
entertainment industry in the late 1970s/early 1980s in the United States, Japan,
and Europe. After a disastrous industry collapse in 1983 and a subsequent
rebirth two years later, the video game industry has experienced sustained
growth for over two decades to become a $10 billion industry, which rivals the
motion picture industry as the most profitable entertainment industry in the
world.